I plowed through Ward's latest BDB novel and wondered what other people thought about it. It's definitely no longer a series that focuses on one couple's development, which doesn't generally bother me. With this book there was a LOT going on, and some of it I could have done without.
Neverthless, I still love the series and I am hanging on until I get the Blaylock/Qhuinn focused book I've been waiting for.

SPOILERS

I do not care about Xcor and there was far too much of him in this book. It also appears as if he may be Layla's HEA, which I find disappointing. I did enjoy the central romance and the tidbits of John/Xhex and Blay/Qhuinn. I expected Qhuinn's vision of a young came from Layla going into her needing and servicing him, but I did not anticipate them making a conscious decision to have a child together. I enjoy their friendship, so I don't mind the Layla road block in that sense.

The Band of Bastards are definitely more interesting as foes than the lessers, I just felt that Xcor got too much time. If he and Layla get their own book, something miraculous would have to happen to make me purchase it.

I am about one third through and I am just so annoyed with the whole "Wellsie is stuck" thing...it seems so contrived and pointless when you look at some of the other shellans who should be dead and gone but aren't.

Is Ward going to change my mind by the end of the book? I hope so, but it ain't looking good.

I wasn't particularly attached to Wellsie, so I was happy to see Tohr work on moving on. I bought what Ward was selling in this case, though there was a single line that was slightly disappointing. And I wouldn't call the No'One/Tohr pairing a typical romance HEA--though the BDB series is certainly no longer your typical paranormal romance series, either.

I liked XCor--I think Ward is setting him up as a new Zsadist. (God, these names are just so unintentionally hilarious. And Zsadist isn't a sadist, he's a Mhasochist.) I'm happy to see less of the Lessers, though I'm not entirely sure that the Band of Bastards will be the long term antogonists.

The arguments between No'One & Tohr are brutal.

Overall, I found this book to be a marked improvement over her last few BDB efforts.

I loved the book. I really thought it was fantastic. My only complaint was that there were not enough of the Brothers. I was hoping that with this one being the last of the original Brothers, we would see more of them than in the last books, but it didn't happen. As Tohr reconnects with life, I wanted to see him reconnect with his Brothers, too. Any one else notice this?

Ward stopped being an auto-buy for me somewhere around V's story, but I've kept up with the series. I don't know why, since the last few books have just been kind of meh for me.

I'm really cynical about this one, with the transparent effort to add to the stable of potential heroes. The lessers can never translate to anything romantic, so a whole new bunch of warriors were brought in, each needing redemption. Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever.

As for Tohr and No'One's story, I just didn't buy it. The parts of the book that touched my heart were where Tohr dealt with Wellsie's passing, having little to do with No'One.

I definitely agree with Louise, that more of the brothers would have been appreciated.

Has anyone else noted how much more vulnerable the boys are than they used to be? In the first book Wrath had much much worse injuries and survived, but in this one a single bullet almost takes him out. Tohr has to limp around on crutches just because of a cut on his foot. A lick can repair punctures to blood vessels in the neck... why didn't someone just lick his foot?

1) I love being in Tohr's head. It's true that a lot of the Brothers "sound" the same in their internal thoughts because Ward has a distinctive style, but I'm still enjoying Tohr's miss of sadness, dark humor, and reluctant attraction to No'one. I think the AAR review hit the mark: Ward is doing a great job of showing how much Tohr loved Wellsie at one point in his life while letting him open up to love again at this new point in his life. I completely believe his inner struggle, and that he can fall in love with someone new without cheapening the deep love he had for Wellsie when she was alive.

2) On the flip-side, I'm completely bored with the BoB Xcor and the rest. I really, REALLY wish these scenes had been swapped for some more interaction between Tohr and his Brothers. How about a scene between Tohr and Z or even Z and No'One? Or John and No'One? Or Butch and Tohr? There are so many places Ward could have gone here to deepen the bonds between Tohr and his Brothers and explore different aspects of his grief. But the pragmatist in me knows that if the series is to continue, she needs to lay new groundword. Still, I mourn the loss of what could have been here.

3) Unlike a bazillion other readers, I just don't care that much about Blay/Quinn. Their story has simply never resonated with me. I always got the feeling that Ward intended originally to go in another direction (Quinn/Layla maybe?) and then scrapped it because she wanted to explore Blay/Quinn. That's fine and obviously a lot of readers love them, but for me, their conflict and emotional grids (to use a Sympath term) never feels organic. Ward does angst well, but if I try to break down the pieces of their story--why they want to be together; why they're not--it falls apart for me.

I think the AAR review hit the mark: Ward is doing a great job of showing how much Tohr loved Wellsie at one point in his life while letting him open up to love again at this new point in his life. I completely believe his inner struggle, and that he can fall in love with someone new without cheapening the deep love he had for Wellsie when she was alive. .

Thank you!

Nicole M. wrote:

2) On the flip-side, I'm completely bored with the BoB Xcor and the rest. I really, REALLY wish these scenes had been swapped for some more interaction between Tohr and his Brothers. How about a scene between Tohr and Z or even Z and No'One? Or John and No'One? Or Butch and Tohr? There are so many places Ward could have gone here to deepen the bonds between Tohr and his Brothers and explore different aspects of his grief. But the pragmatist in me knows that if the series is to continue, she needs to lay new groundword. Still, I mourn the loss of what could have been here.

I had a little different take on this. I liked the BoB and I was interested in Assail, too. I am even a big fan of Qhuinn/Blay/Layla/Saxton quadrangle. I just wasn't willing to read about them AND get none of the Brothers! I mean, I understand that part of Tohr's problem was that he disconnected with life - and part of that life was his brothers - but what I don't get was why we didn't get to see him reconnecting with them when the time came. I mean, for a BDB book, this had the absolute LEAST of any of the other Brothers. Lover Unleashed was like that, but at least you had Butch, V, and that whole thing to keep the Brothers as a part of things. Maybe once Qhuinn and Blay finally get together then that will cut out their story line and the Brothers can come back!!!

2) On the flip-side, I'm completely bored with the BoB Xcor and the rest. I really, REALLY wish these scenes had been swapped for some more interaction between Tohr and his Brothers. How about a scene between Tohr and Z or even Z and No'One? Or John and No'One? Or Butch and Tohr? There are so many places Ward could have gone here to deepen the bonds between Tohr and his Brothers and explore different aspects of his grief. But the pragmatist in me knows that if the series is to continue, she needs to lay new groundword. Still, I mourn the loss of what could have been here.

This is how I feel. I need more of the central characters because I feel like we have so many secondary characters who are now featured prominently. I like how Ward integrated the students (John Matthew, Blay, Qhuinn), The Chosen, and even the Sympaths. I can get behind the Band of Bastards too, but it seems like they are coming in all at once.

Has anyone else noted how much more vulnerable the boys are than they used to be? In the first book Wrath had much much worse injuries and survived, but in this one a single bullet almost takes him out. Tohr has to limp around on crutches just because of a cut on his foot. A lick can repair punctures to blood vessels in the neck... why didn't someone just lick his foot?

I think that the reason that Tohr was so much more vulnerable was because he was starved. That was why he wasn't healing and the wound on his foot was more serious than it would have been in the first book. By the end of the book, a similar injury wouldn't have affected him. Wrath - well, in DL, his injuries were more severe and he was in bed for a week. This time around, he was back at work before Qhuinn even was, so I the real threat to him was the no breathing thing, not the injury. But that is just a guess...

2) On the flip-side, I'm completely bored with the BoB Xcor and the rest. I really, REALLY wish these scenes had been swapped for some more interaction between Tohr and his Brothers. How about a scene between Tohr and Z or even Z and No'One? Or John and No'One? Or Butch and Tohr? There are so many places Ward could have gone here to deepen the bonds between Tohr and his Brothers and explore different aspects of his grief. But the pragmatist in me knows that if the series is to continue, she needs to lay new groundword. Still, I mourn the loss of what could have been here.

This is how I feel. I need more of the central characters because I feel like we have so many secondary characters who are now featured prominently. I like how Ward integrated the students (John Matthew, Blay, Qhuinn), The Chosen, and even the Sympaths. I can get behind the Band of Bastards too, but it seems like they are coming in all at once.

I think the worst part is that this was the last of the originals. Now that there will be no original Brothers left as characters, will they become even more marginalized? If so, the series will go off my auto-buy list. I like the BoB and the rest of the word, but without the Brothers, it isn't that good...

I think the worst part is that this was the last of the originals. Now that there will be no original Brothers left as characters, will they become even more marginalized? If so, the series will go off my auto-buy list. I like the BoB and the rest of the word, but without the Brothers, it isn't that good...

I read somewhere that Ward didn't intend have the series go this long, so she must have to do a lot of tweaking to extend it. She's supposed to release a Mary/Rhage novella next, definitely before she ties up the Blaylock/Qhuinn storyline.

I think the worst part is that this was the last of the originals. Now that there will be no original Brothers left as characters, will they become even more marginalized? If so, the series will go off my auto-buy list. I like the BoB and the rest of the word, but without the Brothers, it isn't that good...

I read somewhere that Ward didn't intend have the series go this long, so she must have to do a lot of tweaking to extend it. She's supposed to release a Mary/Rhage novella next, definitely before she ties up the Blaylock/Qhuinn storyline.

There is supposed to be a Wrath/Beth novella, too. Maybe that is why I am so anxious for them. Those would have to revisit the Brothers that we love! And, in my opinion, Blay and Qhuinn have been upped to a book. Or maybe that is just a hope. Guess we will know tomorrow!

There is supposed to be a Wrath/Beth novella, too. Maybe that is why I am so anxious for them. Those would have to revisit the Brothers that we love! And, in my opinion, Blay and Qhuinn have been upped to a book. Or maybe that is just a hope. Guess we will know tomorrow!

Yes, Blaylock and Qhuinn have enough other people involved in their storyline to warrant a full book. Layla/Xcor, Saxton, John Matthew, and even the mystery of what happened to Qhuinn's brother when he was taken by Lash.